Fastener.



C. RYAN...

FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4. 191B.

Patented Sept. 10, 1918.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES RYAN, 0F MOSMANS BAY, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA,

FASTENER.

Specification of Letter} Patent.

Application filed March 4,1918. Serial No. 220,322,

To all whom it may concern:

' Beit known that 1, CHARLES RYAN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and residinr at Mosmans Bay, Sydney, Australia, have invented new and useful Im- 'mjivements in Fasteners, of which the following a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in apparel fasteners and has or its prineipal object to provide a simple and 'fdurab econnecting means which may be employed in lieu of laclngs for connectin adapted as a shoe'fa'stening and is'so illus- .trated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing Figure 1 'is a perspective view of a portion of a boot or shoe having the improved fastener applied thereto;

Fig. 2 illustrates the manner of initially applying the fastener to the shoe; Fig. 3 shows the fastener in positio for engaging eyelets at the opposite side 9- the opemng in theshoe upper when brought into correct position;

Fig, 4 is a sectional view showin the fas- .tener engaged with both sections 0 the shoe upper;

Fig. 5' is a detail view showing a slightl modified form of the fastener;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the fastener,

substantially on the line 6--6, of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the fastener essentially comprises two bar-like members 1, preferably made of metal, of narrow rectangular or half-round form in cross section. Said members are provided at one end with suitable means for engaging eyelets 2, and have their opposite ends connected by an integral transversely extending member 3. As shown the eyelet engaging means at the free ends of the members 1 are produced by bendin said ends rearwardly to form slight hoo s 4. The members 1 are preferably slightly curved in Patented Sept. 10, 1918.

the direction of their length and near their connected ends are bent or curved slightly so that the transverse member 3 is carried inwardly slightly beyond the ends of said bars whereby, as shown for example in Fig. 4, it will lie beneath the body in which the e elets 5 are mounted, through which eyelets t e members I extend. Also, as shown in the drawings, said transverse connectlng member 3 is bowed or curved slightly on its lower or inner surface so that thefastener as a whole is permitted to have a slight rockin movement when in operative position w iich will permit it to adapt itself to the flexing or bending motion of the instep, for example, and thusavoid; an undesirable pressure or binding action t ereonr Fromthe drawings, it willybe seen that when the fastener has been passed through the eyelets 5, at one side of the openin in a. shoe upper, for example, the body 0 the verse connecting member 3 andthe bars 1 so that there is little chance of the fastener being displaced or detached from the shoe upper Wlll be grasped between I thejtranswhen not in use. The hooks 4 may be readily engaged in the eyelets 2 and as the transverse connecting member 3 is concealed, the

fastener has the appearance of an ordinary lacing.

a As shown, the eyelets at the two sides of the opening to be closed arespa'ced uni-.

formly and are all at the same distance from the edge of said opening. Therefore, the bar-like members 1 are substantially parallel throughout their length. In some instances, however, the eyelets 2' may be' irregularly spaced or successive eyelets situated at slightly different distances fromthe edge of the opening and in this case the menibersffi 6". of the fastener will be of different lengths, as shown in Fig. 5. Of course, the bar-like members need not be parallel but may diverge slightly according to the positions of the eyelets which are to be connected thereby.

The fastener may be of metal, enameled in black, tan or any other, suitable color, and

if, desircdtnniy be ornamented in any appropriate mannera The manner of applying and using the.

improi'ed fastener will be readily understood and appreciated from the forego ng description and the drawing. It will he seen thatthe device provides for connectingtwo parts, of anfal'ticle as securely as if aslngle continuous lace is used and that there is no danger of'the fastener breaking or wearing,

no possibility' of loops becoming untied or hangin down to present an untidy appearance. he operation of closing an opening with the improved fastener is much simpler and requires less effort than is necessary to pass a lace through a series of eyelets or about projecting hook-like studs, a single movement serving to securely connect two sets of eyelets.

It will be seem that as the fastener eonforms substantially to the curvature of the surface over which it extends it avoids entirely the danger incident to exerting an un due amount of pressure at any particular point, as is frequently the cas where laces are employed. In the ease of a shoe fastener, for example, it exerts a uniform pressure on the portions of the instep across which it passes and does not interfere in the slightest manner with the proper circulation and avoids the danger of broken arch and fiat foot which are frequently due to the undesirably high pressure arising from tight lacing.

When in use the transverse connecting member 3 lies between the tongue 10 of the shoe and the body in which the eyelets 5 are arranged so that it does not contact directly with the foot.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1 A fastener for the purposes described comprisin two bar-like members provided at one en with means for engaging eyelets and having their other ends connected 1% a transverse member which .s concealed when the device is in use and is adapted to allowv throughout its length and which is bowedor curved longitudinally, and having their free ends adapted to engage eyelets.

3. A fastener for the purposes described comprising two metal members adapted to extend through a pair of eyelets and connected at one end by an integral transverse member that lies belfiw the body supporting the eyelets when the device is in use, the other ends of said members being shaped to engage eyelets at the oppositeside of an opening across which the members extend.

4. A fastener for the purposes described comprising two bar-like members connected at one end by a transverse member, said barlike members being bent so that the transverse connecting member is directed toward the free ends thereofand the latter being bent or curved to form eyelet engaging hooks.

5. A fastener for the purposes described comprising two bar-like members, having a uniform slight longitudinal curvature, connected at one end by a longitudinally bowed member, that extends transversely of saidbar-like members throughout its length, the free ends of the bar-like members being provided with eyelet. engaging means.

6. In a device of the type described, a. fastener having a loop at one end, formed to present a hook adapted to be reversely inserted through a pair of apertures, and at the other end hook members to engagecorrespondingly placed eyelets in another portion of the article to be fastened.

7. A fastener of substantially U-form adapted to have its limbs passed outwardly through a pair of eyelets and having the separated ends of said limbs benttoengage eyelets at the opposite side of an opening across which the fastener extends.

8. A fastener for the purpose described having at one end a transverse hook, 3, and

' at its opposite end two, separated, eyelet engaging members.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHARLES RYAN. 

